


Borrowed Time

by whatsup818



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Bulges and Nooks, F/F, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-29
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2018-04-11 21:19:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4452791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatsup818/pseuds/whatsup818
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Meenah Peixes has lived the majority of her life in hiding and thieving. With the condesce around, her grasp at life is a miracle in itself. Now at the age where her blood color will become more visible to the world, she decides to join a pirate crew as a means to hide more effectively.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

In the earliest time of the night, right before the sun set, a hooded figure pulled itself from the ocean depths and onto dry land. The dark cloth shielded the troll from the searing rays of the departing sun that would normally burn the flesh off of any unfortunate soul that wasn’t a jade blood. Light on her feet, the hooded figure was careful to not draw too much attention as she rushed through the oceanside town, in search of someplace to hide. She could feel the eyes of the Empress upon her, searching for her to bring her to an unfortunate and bloody demise.

Honestly, it was a miracle she was alive now. Most defective trolls and tyrian blooded sea dwellers would be killed as small wrigglers. Barely able to walk on their new legs after molting from their infantile grub bodies, they never stood a chance. Yet somehow, she managed to escape the cold hand of death from just being herself and wandering off instead of following the elders orders to congregate in the throne room. The screams and wails of pure agony is still fresh in her mind today, haunting her dreams. Everyday she is aware she is living on borrowed time. Any second could be her last, especially now since she has gotten older. The color in her fins and in her eyes are unmistakably tyrian. Just one look from anyone loyal to the crown would spell her doom.

Luckily, during her travels she had managed to get her hands on a pair of goggles that completely hid the color of her eyes from any troll, instead reflecting their own image back at them. Her five fingered discount ensured she got away with them without raising any alarms. Thieving was her saving grace over the years that was carefully perfected with daily practice. Once couldn’t only live on meat and fish, especially with blood like hers. Any wound, no matter how small, was like a beacon of death. Any cut or scrape was bandaged immediately and efficiently with any stolen bandages she could get her hands on. 

Recently she discovered the miracle of dyes. Yes, they were normally used in hair by highblood to boast their high status to the lowbloods, yet she found another use for them. Applying violet to her earfins, they would temporarily take on the appearance of the general sea dweller population, masking her empress worthy color for a lesser, yet still royal blood. Unfortunately it only lasted for a few weeks at a time before it wore off, plus the formula made her fins itch like crazy for the first few hours after application. Though that was the price she had to pay for survival.

Much to her horror, the empress has become aware of her survival somehow. Posters seemed to line the streets with promise of a large reward for locating this ‘mysterious’ tyrian that somehow avoided death greeted her at every turn. Maybe she just wasn’t careful enough or maybe during those early twilight hours a jade blood peered out from their caves and saw her true color when everyone was supposed to be asleep. She didn’t know or care, all she knew was that she needed protection and fast. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw it. A towering, intricately detailed ship with a pirate flag fluttering proudly in the sky. As soon as she saw it, an idea started to brew as she slunk around the closed down shops, glancing into the windows for any items that could be useful for her travels. What if she joined this pirate crew? She would always be at sea, plus she would be moving around a lot in a protected vessel, safe from prying imperial eyes. Sure, pirates weren’t the most trustworthy bunch, but they avoided the royal guard just as much as she did. No doubt their own crimes would deter them from the reward. At least that was what she was counting on if she were ever discovered. 

After picking the locks of six separate businesses swiping bandages,thread, needles, dyes, food and even a little gold, Meenah headed to the docked ship. Who knows, maybe luck will continue to be on her side.


	2. Chapter 2

In the early hours of the night, the pleasant smell of the salty sea air greeted Aranea as she awoke in her recupercoon. Their time in this town had been sorely needed for her, captain Mindfang, and her rather ragtag crew. After their last battle at sea, they were lucky to have at least half their crew with them. Most were taken by the unforgiving sea or the royal guard that ambushed them in the twilight fog. It was a miracle their ship survived the encounter, though that didn’t stop Mindfang from agonizing over the severity of the damage once they landed in this neutral seaside town.

Luck, as always, seemed to be on their side as the ship was able to be repaired to its former glory at minimal cost. Though that may have involved some minor ‘influence’ from the captain herself. With all the money they saved, Aranea took the liberty to buy a few more books, as well as some new maps and compasses for orienteering. Having the most up to date information was always a must in her eyes. That and she had a love for learning and sharing what she learned. Unfortunately the crew did not share her sentiments, and often found herself ignored, even when she presented them with some vital information. Mindfang and the helmsman at least paid attention when it came to directions and the sailing patterns of their enemies, but it just wasn’t enough.

Oh well, someday she will have her own pirate crew. A crew that will listen to her during the quiet nights out on the sea. Not to mention her reputation as an infamous pirate will grow throughout the sweeps, possibly becoming even more well known than Mindfang herself! Oh she could just picture it now .

The sounds of frantic, angry trolls violently ripped her from the fantasy. No matter how many times she accompanied Mindfang and her crew in battle, fear still bubbled deep in her chest like a deadly poison. Biting it back like a bitter pill, Aranea raced to get dressed, cursing at the slight tremble in her hands, something she couldn’t quite rid herself of even after all this time. A good pirate knows no fear after all.

Tension, not only from herself, weighed heavily on her as she reached for her sword. Air seemed to thicken around her, becoming harder to inhale with every passing minute. Grasping her sword tight in her hand, she swore everyone on the ship could hear her heart thundering in her chest. Knowledge that this could be her very last battle cut through her mind like a hot knife as she approached the cabin door. With all these feelings rushing at her from nearly everyone aboard the ship, the couple minutes it took to get herself ready felt like hours.

No matter how long she practiced blocking others emotions, she never truly thought she could quite get over the impact of such a massive influx of powerful emotions. Even if she trained for thousands of sweeps. At least it didn’t lock her in place like it used to.

Yet, something was off about these feelings being thrown at her. It was a different kind of fear that fueled them. Even some undercurrents of anger flared to life amongst the chaos. Curiosity spiking, she yanked her cabin door open, freezing at the unexpected sight.

A sea dweller, no older than her, stood in the center of the ship. Even with her eyes covered, she could feel the raw fear radiating from her in droves, nearly suffocating her and the emotions around her. Never in her life had she witnessed a sea dweller so terrified in her life. It was enough to halt her attack and observe the strange situation. After all, one did not learn the enemies weakness by rushing into battle blindly.

Each crewmember that attempted to harm her was easily maneuvered around and tossed to the side like a sack of potatoes. It was as though she spent her entire life developing a fighting style that worked around another trolls attack instead of initiating it. Something very unlike typical sea dweller fighting styles which usually involved aggressive stabbing and lunging with the very real intention to kill. This was more graceful, a deadly dance with an enemy, using gravity and motion to disarm and disable the threat.

It was obvious the fight was seriously taking its toll on the sea dweller. Her mouth hung open, breathing ragged as she grabbed a lunging trolls wrist and drove him straight into the main mast with a simple jerk of her arm. Despite her obvious enhanced strength over the low bloods, she looked too thin to be healthy, face gaunt with the ever present look of hunger. Almost as though she had to struggle to survive just like any low blood would. But that couldn’t be right….sea dwellers were born in the lap of luxury. What did they know about struggle?

“Seems like we have a rather unusual guest now don’t we?” The sound of her mentor’s faintly amused tone was enough to rip Aranea away from the commotion. Before she could question further, the pirate captain strode out into the chaos, a slight smirk playing on her lips as she approached the sea dweller.

“Enough!” Instantly the pirates backed off of the exhausted sea dweller, backing away just enough to give their captain and the intruder room. Despite the tension rolling off the sea dweller in droves, she straightened up, standing tall and proud like any sea dweller would. Apparently pride, even in a rather ragged looking sea dweller, runs strong in their line.

“Obviously you are alone. Seems rather foolish when boarding a ship full of pirates, though I am sure your sea dweller superiority complex must have given you a green light to go wherever you want without repercussions hmm?” A low, mocking chuckle fell from Mindfangs lips as she slowly circled around the trespasser, taking note of her torn and tattered clothing. “Why are you here?”

“I want to be a pirate. I want to join your crew” The admission was surprising enough it even made the captain pause. A sea dweller willingly asking to be placed in a subordinate position to a land dweller? It was unheard of. The conviction in her voice was undeniable, and any underlying intentions were minor from what Aranea could sense.

Soft murmurs between the crewmembers disturbed the silence as Mindfang strode to face the young sea dweller. Lightning fast, she grasped the sea dwellers chin. Collectively the crew, and even Mindfang snickered as she nearly flinched away from the action. Yet she not only permitted it to happen, but allowed her to twist and turn her head around as much as the captain pleased. The near untouchable power the sea dwellers held over them seemed to shatter in that moment as the captain assessed the potential crewmember.

Certain the sea dweller was only going to be turned away, Aranea sheathed her sword as she observed the scene. Obviously allowing a sea dweller could be a major threat to their livelihood, not to mention their own lives. For all they knew, this could be a trap by the same sea dweller ship that had taken them only a few days prior. Although she didn’t really think they would be stupid enough to send in one of their own. That was practically suicide.

Although…there were some advantages to having a sea dweller. Namely their ability to breathe underwater. Anyone tossed overboard during battle or a raging storm would at least have some kind of chance of survival. Not to mention all of the sunken treasure they would now have access to. This was quite the conundrum.

“Alright. You may be apart of my crew. Aranea! Take her down to the lower deck and show her the job she will be taking over.” Aranea was so caught up in her thoughts, she nearly jumped when her name was called. The lower deck? Well, guess it was fitting that she would give this new crewmember the worst job on the ship.

“Certainly Mindfang.” With a pleasant smile, she strode over to the new recruit, pleased to see the crew part for her just as they had done for Mindfang. “Follow me, miss and please pay close attention to your job description. We don’t like screw ups sailing on this ship.”

The sea dweller visibly seemed to be holding back a scathing retort. The way her jaw clenched together so hard she was almost worried she might break her teeth. Almost. By her reaction, Aranea was nearly certain she would try to back out of this arrangement, yet she followed silently, earfins drooping slightly in defeat.

Interesting.

“As I am sure you already know, we store important items and goods in our lower decks. Ammunition, food, rum, rope and building materials all reside down here for safe keeping. Your job is to keep all these items secure, bring up any item requested and the amount requested with no complaints as well as repair if we receive any kind of damage while sailing. Normally we would have several down here to repair the ship if there is a hole but your sea dweller strength should be enough to hold back several tons of water pressure.” Stories of sea dwellers dragging things the size of whales through the water with only the power of their legs was something that always stuck with her ever since she read about it in one of her books. Witnessing a sea dwelling captain shoot an over the shoulder weapon with massive recoil and not even flinching only reinforced that belief.

“These are the sleeping quarters for the crew. Pick any hammock you want. Only the captain, first mate and helmsman get recuperacoons.” A smug little grin tugged at the corner of her lips. Being good enough to be Mindfang’s first mate was something she did not take lightly. As they approached the stairway down into the bowels of the ship, she stepped aside and gestured for the sea dweller to head in first. “This is where you will be for the majority of your time unless stated otherwise.”

Only after a slight moment of hesitation did the new recruit head down the stairs. A soft splash and a few choice swears about the smell signalled that she was finally at the bottom. A nasty surprise to land dwellers that were forced to work down here. Usually slaves did it since the constant dampness and water on the floor caused serious cases of trenchfoot. Which unfortunately made the entire lower deck smell like decaying corpses. A problem they will no longer worry about with a sea dweller below deck.  
Even the possibility of a fire was diminished. Due to living so deep in the ocean depths where almost no light could penetrate, sea dweller had excellent night vision.Sure it was all in black and white. Only tyrain bloods could see like they could in the natural moonlight. Guess being a rare, once in a million sweeps birth gave them plenty of perks to rule over all trolls.

“Secure everything below deck and take count of everything we have. There should be a checklist hanging near the stairs on a nail for you to use. Report back to me in two hours with accurate numbers. We want to cast off today so we need to have a full stock of supplies. Understood?” Pointed ears swiveled forward, eager to hear the obedient response from the grumbling sea dweller below. The sounds of swishing water and crinkling paper met her ears before she finally got a reply.

“Waterebber you say…Aranea.” Satisfied from the rather gruff response, the young pirate took her leave. She had a lot of work to do after all. New charts and plans needed to be drafted and she was just the troll to do it.


	3. Chapter 3

What did she just get herself into?

Climbing onto a pirate ship uninvited was possibly the worst idea she had in a long time. Sure she survived out in the ocean and on the seaside docks for many sweeps, but apparently those skills didn’t apply here. Though in hindsight, she probably should have realized the folly of her plan. Sea creatures always reacted violently to trespassers whenever they were near their homes, why would trolls be any different? As far as she knew, pirates lived on their ship, and she had just invaded. Guess it wasn’t the same as walking on the docks after hours, where home invasion involves picking locks and slipping silently into what was thought to be a secure home. 

Just remembering all those deadly blades slicing into her loose clothing,nearly sinking into her grey skin made her already cool blood run colder than ice. Meenah’s entire struggle for life could have come crashing down with just a careless nick of the blade. If it wasn’t for the captains intervention...well she didn’t really want to think about that. Even if the whole experience left her fins burning in humiliation, she was just glad to be alive.

 

Though this new job that was dumped onto her was rather good at distracting her from the degrading experience above deak. The smell of rot and decay was so horrific she could barely see through the tears welling up in her eyes. The putrid water was thick and slimy with bits of rubbery looking grey flesh floating in it, all in various states of liquefaction. Homemade foot wrappings did little to shield her feet from the unholy soup of rotten flesh and sea water. Just the feeling alone made her skin crawl.

Retching, she clutched a nearby crate as she dry heaved into the water, shivering as bitter bile burned its way up her throat and spilled into the disgusting mixture she stood in. Panting heavily, she uselessly covered her mouth with her hand in an attempt to keep the smell and even the taste of the air in the lower deck away. Was all of this really worth it just to stay alive? She really wasn’t certain anymore.

Despite her shaky start, Meenah slowly pushed on with her new job, counting the supplies and checking the security of the ropes that bound them down to the ship. It was pleasing to see that the storage items were held above the water on their own platforms, and it was taken advantage of by the thief. Deftly she climbed the crates, crawling from one to the other when they were too close to the ceiling, and leaping when they were lower. Anything to keep out of the water. 

Once she finished the inventory count, she practically shot out of the lower deck like a rocket, nails making deep grooves in the second deck floor as she clawed her way onto the dry deck. Breathing in the clean air greedily, she laid on the rough floor for a moment longer before finally sitting up, thankful she had enough forethought to bring the checklist with her. Though her relief didn’t last long. The ruined cloth wrapped around her feet felt rather sticky against her skin for reasons she really didn’t want to think about. Not to mention the odor coming from the soaked cloth. Grumbling, she started unwrapping the tainted wrappings from her feet, wishing she could just dump them in a nearby fire once they were off.

“Where are your shoes?” 

 

Earfins perking at the slightly alarmed tone of the rather chatty troll from earlier, Meenah glanced up at the cerulean blood and nearly smirked at the wide eyed expression on her face. A dry laugh rumbled in her throat as she returned her attention to the wraps, finally ripping one off of her foot. “Aint got none. The shell would I need shoes for when I been swimmin around most of the time?” 

A prim hrumph and the slight narrowed cerulean eyes was the only warning Meenah received for the impending signature Serket lecture. “Well despite your rather crass point, it is imperative that you wear shoes now. Especially with your new workspace. Who knows what kind of incurable infection you could contract from having the tiniest scratch on your foot? It’s a miracle you haven’t gotten one already with your lack of proper footwear!” 

“Yeah yeah. Clam down nerd. I whale grab a pair beshore we leave aight?” Waving Aranea off dismissively, she yanked the second soiled wrapping off triumphantly and tossed it dismissively to the side. “If ya didn’t keep it so dam nasty down there then this wouldn’t be a probubblem”

“We cannot help what happens in the lower levels of the ship when we are attacked at sea. Canons do hit us and do cause some water to fill our lower levels during battle and it is impossible to get the water completely out once that happens. It is why you are placed down here. Anything that pierces the hull you are expected to put a stop to while dealing with rising waters. The only reason why it is disgusting is because Mindfang contained prisoners and slaves down there to take care of the work themselves, and she did not allow them the privilege of clothing, which includes shoes. A rather gruesome yet effective means of torture which-” And that was the exact moment when Meenah started to tune out Aranea’s long winded lecture. 

Wow she could go on forever couldn’t she? Just watching her hands wave this way and that for emphasis along with the rise and fall of her voice was enough of an indication that this lecture was no where near the end. Yet, Meenah found herself listening. Not to the words themselves, but to the surprisingly soothing sound of her voice as it changed like the ebb and flow of a rising tide. It was almost as if Aranea was getting lost in her own lecture as well. So pleased to hear herself speak and show off her vast knowledge, she might not notice if she dozed off. Well maybe not at first. 

It seemed as though this lecture could go on for a few hours, much to the sea dwellers discomfort. The longer it took to get the supplies, the more guards there will be on the docks. Especially when those trolls that ‘donated’ their merchandise finally realized it was missing. Leaping up, she pressed her palm against the blabbering cerulean bloods mouth, effectively silencing her.

“Aight nerd, I get it! Shoes are important….along with waterebber otter carp you were talkin boat.” Disregarding the muffled, indignant grunt, she was quick to pull away once she felt those long fangs drag along the palm of her hand. Glancing at her palm, she sighed softly in relief. No blood was drawn. “You can glub on aboat that shit when we get back aight?”

Whatever retort Aranea prepared seemed to die and fade away with a look of genuine surprise briefly changing the disgruntled frown on her face. “First of all. I am not a nerd. I am first mate Aranea Serket and shall be addressed as such. Second, my lecture wasn’t ‘carp’, it was necessary information that you seemed to have failed to grasp. None the less, I shall continue ‘glubbing’ about it when we get back since you have so kindly offered to listen.” 

Snorting softly in amusement, Meenah flashed a cheeky grin at the smaller troll. “Shore Serket. Long as you buy the shoes and anemone otter nice things I sea, I’ll sit and listen to ya run that motorboat of a mouth ya got.” 

Smacking Aranea jovially on the back, she sauntered up the stairs, leaving a dumbfounded pirate gaping at her retreating form. The quick footfalls that followed only made that smug smirk on the sea dwellers face grow. Spinning on her heel, she shamelessly displayed her amusement at the rather exasperated cerulean blood. Unfortunately, the land dweller was less than amused. 

 

“Listen here you heathen. I know you sea dwellers have a knack for treating anyone lower than you like dirt, but as a new recruit you will give me your respect.” A sharp jab to the chest by the pirates slender finger was all it took to erase her mirth. 

“Hey gill relax....I aint tryin to disrespect nofin here aight? Can’t a gill have a little fun?” Meenah did her best to stem the fear in her voice as she held her hands up in surrender. The all too familiar feeling constricted her chest as she reminded herself over and over again that one angry cerulean blood wasn’t enough to blow her cover. Though it was a little harder to convince herself when this cerulean blood came with a ship full of lowbloods that had a distaste for sea dwellers. Maybe she was getting a little too comfortable with Aranea, but there was just something about her that made her feel safe. 

 

Whatever she said it must have worked as Aranea’s stern scowl softened into a light frown. “Right.Well….Let’s buy some new cargo before it gets too late. Captain Mindfang wants to set sail tonight”

 

Unfortunately, Meenah’s midday thievery had everyone on high alert. Guards were particularly thick in the shops she infiltrated. Cursing her sticky fingers, the sea dweller was careful to position herself so Aranea was always between her and the guards. Minimal eye contact was made with any authority figure, almost as if she believed they could see through her dark goggles and into her incriminating tyrian eyes. 

It was especially difficult to avoid prying eyes as time went on. Seeing a sea dweller toting around crates of goods and armory for a land dweller wasn’t a common sight. All the extra attention was unnerving, sending chills up her spine as her lungs seemed to constrict and rebel with every breath she took. It was all she could do to focus on the troll in front of her and keep going. 

By the time they arrived at the shoe store, Meenah’s nerves were frayed. Enough so that when the shopkeeper approached, she shrieked and sent the owner careening into a nearby wall with a quick flick of her wrist. “Shit did ya sea that? He glubbin snuck up on me. His fault.”

“Right. His fault.” Thoroughly unconvinced, Aranea rolled her eyes as she carefully stepped over the broken shelves and scattered shoes. “Sorry about my friend. She’s not good in crowds.”

The rust blood wheezed as he was pulled to his feet. Once fully upright, he clutched his ribs, wincing as he took a deep breath. Fear shown clearly in his eyes as he turned towards his assailant. “S-sorry for upsetting your friend. I-It was my fault, really!” 

“Don’t worry about that. I will pay for the damages. Now if you please, could you help my friend find some shoes? She seemed to have misplaced hers. Any black pair will do. Nothing too fancy, ok?” As the shop owner rushed off to complete the order, Aranea wheeled on Meenah, arms crossed tight to her chest. 

“Mind keeping it together long enough for me to buy you some new shoes? I want to leave this shop without spending every last beetle I earned on your destructive outbursts.” Somehow, Aranea’s tone wasn’t as sharp as before, despite her obvious frustration. In fact, she seemed rather curious as she fixated her analytical gaze on the sea dweller. 

“Shore Serket. Waterebber you say.” She muttered as she slumped into a nearby chair, and nearly leaped out of it again as the shoe salesman rushed out with several boxes stacked high in his arms. A soft curse fell from her lips as she attempted to settle in the chair. Clearly he wasn’t going to harm her, not with those nervous glances he shot her way as he pulled out a strange metal device. 

Tyrian eyes shifted between the device and the salesman as she struggled to figure out just what it was. They didn’t actually need to draw blood to sell a pair that fits, right? She had witnessed tailors draw the blood of their clients a few times to dye their clothes the exact shade of their blood, but shoes didn’t work that way. At least she didn’t think it did. It certainly didn’t look dangerous with its two sliding parts and all the numbers and lines that ran along the middle. Still...it didn’t exactly look safe, especially when the maroon blood started to approach her with it. 

“Hang on, basshole. What the shell is that thing?” The salesmans eyebrows rose in shock at the question, uncertain he heard the sea dweller correctly. 

 

“This is to measure your feet, ma’am. If you may allow it, I can show you how it works.” The soft spoken salesman kneeled before her, holding his hand out for her foot. His nose wrinkled as the residual smell from the bowels of the ship hit his nose, though he did his best to hide his disgust.   
Still a little apprehensive, Meenah reluctantly lifted her foot for the lowblood to take.

Aranea watched the entire exchange absolutely flabbergasted. Just watching the sea dweller get over her initial fear of a Brannock Device of all things was one of the strangest things she had ever seen. Not to mention the wriggler-like curiosity that seemed to take over, fins perking up with interest as he carefully explained how the device worked. 

Certainly a far cry from those egotistical sea dwellers she had the displeasure of meeting.

Soon a new pair of shiny boots were on Meenah’s feet, thanks to the shopkeepers suggestion of boots over shoes. As Aranea paid for the damages and boots, the sea dweller was content with clomping around the store while looking at her new footwear. It was almost...adorable.

Shaking her head clear of such thoughts, Aranea crossed her arms and cleared her throat loud enough to get her to look up. “Now, if you are finished admiring your boots, do you mind gathering everything we purchased today so we can head back to the ship? We are expected back soon and I for one do not want to be late.”

“Waterebber ya say Serk.” Flashing a rather wide grin, she effortlessly gathered up the crates and held them as if they barely weighed anything at all. As they left, the grin that decorated her face slowly dissipated into a tight frown. Weaving around guards in plain sight was a serious mood killer. Luckily, they weren’t on the docks for long and were once more standing on the deck of the massive ship. 

Observing the cargo, Aranea nodded curtly. “Thank you for the help, Meenah. Now take those crates below deck and secure them with the rest.” 

“Right.” Apprehension practically dripped from that single word as Meenah slowly approached the stairs. Might as well get used to the smell of death everyday, but it didn’t mean she had to like it. Those thoughts halted when she felt a warm hand gently grab her arm. Startled, she nearly dropped the crates as she turned towards the smirking cerulean blood.

“Don’t forget you promised to listen to one of my lectures once we came back. I will be waiting for you in the galley. Hurry back.” 

Staring wide eyed at Aranea’s retreating form, Meenah found herself thinking the same thought from earlier this evening. 

Just what had she gotten herself in to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking forever to get this out. I got really busy with things and had some writers block. Hope this chapter was worth the wait. I will try to be faster with the next one


	4. Chapter 4

“You seem to be getting close to our new sea dweller, Aranea. Anything you want to tell me?”

Aranea nearly spilled her inkwell from Mindfang’s catty remark. She could practically feel the little smirk on the captain’s face as she composed herself and continued to chart their course through the Alternian sea. If the captain wasn’t actively blocking her own emotions from her empathic abilities, she was certain she would have drowned in her smug amusement. Pursing her lips, she glanced up at the older troll only to confirm her suspicions.

“I find that she is rather good company to have around. Unlike the majority of the crew, she actually sticks around when I have something important to say.” Sure, she isn’t quite certain that everything she says actually gets through to the sea dweller. Many times when she asks her to repeat what she just said, she gets vague fish pun riddled answers. At least it’s on topic, though she swears if she could see behind those thick, dark goggles during those questions, Meenah’s eyes would resemble a startled hoofbeast.

Though, she had to admit, it was nice having someone on the ship that regarded her in such an open and friendly manner. The way those expressive fins fluttered whenever she looked in Aranea’s direction was certainly endearing. She almost didn’t mind that she may possibly be using her lectures to avoid working on the ship.

Almost.

Despite being able to read her feelings loud and clear, she could never quite penetrate her mind enough to read her thoughts. Puzzling considering how hard she worked and trained her abilities throughout the night when she wasn’t busy and even during the daylight hours when the sun was too bright for any sane troll to be out. Practicing with Mindfang only sped up her process, picking up tips and tricks from the master as well as putting her own spin on them to make it better. The rigorous training she received ever since she molted from grub to wriggler was finally starting to pay off in big ways. Namely, being able to read the thoughts of some, feeble minded violet blooded sea dwellers.

Not saying Meenah was stupid but...she was certain she would have been able to penetrate enough to read the simplest of thoughts. Especially from a troll, who a few days ago, didn’t even know what a brannock device was. That and she really didn’t know a lot about troll culture and history, something she took upon herself to teach her. Thoroughly.

Still, she was intelligent in her own right, especially about the sea. She remembered the foggy night Meenah practically hung on the rails of the ship, fins twitching and swiveling as she listened to some unheard sound. If she could see her eyes, they would have been sharp, focused on some unseen mass in the distance. It was enough of a disturbance, it even caused Mindfang to question Meenah’s sanity. 

“Somefin big is cuttin through the water. Bigger than this ship, and its headin towards us.” Was her ominous response. It was enough for Mindfang to heed, ordering the helmsman to reroute his course immediately. Not long after, the sounds of rushing water was heard as a large, royal battleship sailed by. It’s devastating ram gleamed in the water, right in the path they had previously sailed in. That was enough for Meenah to be promoted from out of the disgusting depths of the ship. At least when it was foggy.

Aranea, while happy her friend was finally allowed to do more than wallow in that cesspool below deck, she absolutely needed to know just how exactly she knew the ship was there in the first place. There was little research released to land dwellers on sea dwellers, something that irked her to no end. Asking Meenah herself was fruitless as her answers were always vague at best.

“Just got that feelin serk.” 

“Reel great question serk. It’s just a thing that happens sometimes when outside, ya know what I marine?”

No. No she doesn’t know what she ‘marines’, though it would explain how Dualscar’s ship always seems to locate them under the foggiest conditions. All her suspicions of some kind of sonar technology had been thrown out the window thanks to this rather unusual sea dweller. It was a wonderful discovery, yet it frustrated her to know end that she couldn’t just research the topic for answers.

Watching the sea dweller while she was at work was a challenge as well. Meenah was always extremely careful about how close anyone actually got to her, let alone if they were watching her. Anytime she would try to observe the phenomenon, the new recruit would tense up and shuffle away at least a few feet, muttering about ‘nosy glubbin trolls’ under her breath. The spike of anxiety that always followed never failed to baffle her. After at least three failed attempts, she backed off, not wanting to distress her friend anymore than she already had. 

Aranea was broken out of her thoughts by a pair of fingers snapping in her face. Yelping, she leaped back, only to glower indignantly at Mindfang’s chortling face. 

 

“Look, whatever is going on, don’t let it interfere with your work. Getting too attached to a pirate is dangerous business. Any voyage could be their last.” The mirth dissipated as the pirate captain spoke, her expression now serious. “Are you really prepared for that?” 

Aranea felt a heavy weight build in her chest as she listened to her captain’s words. The only other troll she’s ever been close to was Porrim, and it didn’t last long. Barely a sweep went by when the jade blood ended their relationship. The worst part was that she could feel the affection slipping away thanks to her abilities, yet she chose to ignore it in hopes that it would pass. After all, trying to change herself to solve negative feelings in the past always resulted in scorn and distrust from her fellow trolls. 

Affection turned cold and she was let go. Now she was presented with these warm feelings again and she wanted nothing more than to hold onto them. “I understand that, but I think I can handle this. I am not a wriggler anymore.” There was a slight edge to her voice as she spoke, something Mindfang noticed.

“That’s my girl. We will make a pirate of you yet.” A smirk and a slight nod of approval for what she assumed the captain perceived as the correct answer. For once, she really wasn’t too thrilled to receive her approval. She needed some air. 

“Now, since we are done prodding at my personal relationships on this ship, I think I will take my leave since I finished charting this map.” With a final swipe of her pen, she returned it to its well. “Despite the status of our relationship, I do have one mystery I must solve before it drives me insane.”

Not bothering to wait for a response, Aranea left the cabin with purpose. The subject of her frustration already out and about, sitting on the railing of the ship as they sailed through some mild fog. Those earfins were already out and twitching already, like little satellite dishes attuned to the sea. 

It was time to try a different approach. One that would hopefully ease the permanent cloud of anxiety that seemed to surround the sea dweller since the day she met her.

“Hey Serk! Aint much to sea out here right now. Promise I aint makin us go in circles like last time, I got yer glubbin spinny arrow thing.” Aranea rolled her eyes in amusement as she eyed the compass that was presented to her. Meenah really was taking her concerns into consideration instead of blindly leading them wherever she wanted to go during the fog. It certainly saved her a lot of headache after the fog lifted. A familiar warmth bloomed in her chest as she regarded the smiling sea dweller.

“Thank you for using the compass I gave you, but that is not why I am here.” Gracing her with a small, fanged smile, she leaned against the rail Meenah was sitting on. “I am here to observe your fins. I want to find out how you are able to find unseen things in the ocean since your explanations are so dreadfully unhelpful. Would that be alright?”

Normally, she would just watch without interruption, knowing that interfering with anything could potentially affect how Meenah reacted to the world around her. Specifically her ability to sense things in foggy waters. Since she seemed to always notice and subsequently leave her all alone to wallow in her frustrations as well as her slowly growing guilt from upsetting her, it really was the only option she had. 

The sea dweller seemed to squirm under her gaze, subconsciously reaching up to touch her fins, as if checking for something. An internal battle seemed to rage within her before finally answering with a quick, sharp nod.

“Ocray….just..don’t look too close aight? I don’t like people starin at my fins.” Said fins, seemed to twitch out of sync with each other, possibly from the growing anxiety from the sea dweller. Somehow, this felt like more than just observing a pair of fins. As if Meenah were extending a form of trust she never allowed anyone to experience before, and she was not about to waste or tarnish such a precious gift. 

 

Nodding, Aranea remained silent as she watched those fins work. As the anxiety dissipated, the movements became slower and more fluid. That was when she finally saw it. Tiny black pores littered the spines of those fins, much like the sensory pores found on sharks noses that made them so sensitive to the world around them. 

It was a major discovery, one that had Aranea reeling with excitement. Maybe that was why she was so protective of her fins. Would that mean if they were touched she would receive a sensory overload? There were so many unanswered questions! She was practically bouncing in place from her barely contained excitement. The sight of the giddy first mate was enough to erase some of the sea dwellers fear, and even draw out an amused chuckle from her.

A rather large wave crashed against the ship in that moment, causing her to bounce herself literally over the edge. Excitement fell to fear as she dropped like a rock towards the deep blue water below, sincerely wishing she knew how to swim. All thoughts of drowning screeched to a halt as a strong hand wrapped around her ankle, stopping her descent into the dark sea. Before she could even process what was happening, she was yanked back onto the ship and righted into a shaky standing position by a pair of very strong arms. 

“Holy shell Aranea. Maybe you shoaldn’t be so close to the edge right now. Wait til it aint so shitty out. You can stare at my fins then aight?” Never before had Aranea been engulfed by such strong feelings of concern and relief all directed at herself. Speechless, she nodded slowly as her hands gripped the strong forearms that kept her upright. 

“Shit ya aint talkin, you shore you feel aight? Cmon, lets get inside so ya don’t glubbin pass out on the deck ocray?” As Meenah spoke, she quickly swept the cerulean blood away from the side of the ship, only to be stopped by Aranea herself. 

“T-thank you, Meenah, for your concern” Her voice shook, adrenaline still coursing through her system at what she perceived as a near death experience. Taking a moment to calm herself, she smiled up at the sea dweller, staring into those thick, reflective goggles. “But, you are needed out here. I appreciate you allowing me to observe you for a little while. Thank you for trusting me.”

“Heh..yeh shore nerd. Don’t gotta get all mushy boat it. Just try not to throw yershellf overboard again. Then I’d have to drag yer flounderin ass back on board.” Aranea huffed, lightly smacking the snickering sea dweller’s arm in retaliation. Just as she was about to retaliate, she fell silent at the sincere smile that was directed her way.

“You looked reel pretty smilin like ya were beshore ya fell off the ship...hope next time I sea it I don’t gotta save ya from drownin.” There was a light flush dusting Meenah’s cheeks as she spoke, something Aranea found to be incredibly cute. Even so, as she nodded and watched Meenah return to her post, something about that blush didn’t sit right with her.

Was it normal for violet bloods to blush a shade brighter than their blood color?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. I was having some technical issues where my writing wouldn't save and I would lose chunks of my work. I hope this was worth the wait.


	5. Chapter 5

Smoke and cannon ash filled the air. 

“Load the cannons!”

Meenah’s gills burned and itched from the heavy fog spewing from the reddened tip of the cannon, it’s deadly load screaming through the air, splintering the side of the opposing ship in a single blow. Her ear’s wouldn’t stop ringing from the blasts, even as she rushed down to the depths of the ship, returning with heavy crates filled with cannon balls in each arm. The crew dove on the new supply, quick to wrench off the wooden lids and rush steel balls to their respective cannons. 

“Fire!”

A series of shots rang out. Eight blasts in total, shook the ship as they aimed true for the battered vessel before them. The crew cheered as the unfortunate ship crumbled before their eyes, mast snapping in two and tumbled into the unforgiving sea below. The ship itself was partially submerged, most of its crew overboard and struggling to stay above water as waves crashed and sucked them deep into the dark depths below.

“Board the ship! Kill anyone that fights back and bring those that surrender.” 

The captain’s order rang loud and clear over the cheering pirates, immediately setting them in motion. Trolls of all castes crawled and climbed up the rope rungs along the mast, several untying rope as the ship neared its target. Dozens flew threw the air at a time once they were near enough using the untied rope to swing over to the doomed ship, landing on the slowly sinking boat with swords drawn and guns ablaze. Others threw down boards to use as a bridge between ships, rushing across with murderous intent. Meenah herself joined the fray, though her approach was a little unconventional.

The sea dweller dove into the churning waters below, careful to avoid the sinking bodies of drowned trolls as she darted directly for some of the sizable holes in the ship’s hull. Aside from general supplies that were unfortunately ruined from the cannon blasts, Meenah managed to find a chest with bags of gold and beetles within. Her sticky thieves fingers couldn’t help but pinch a few smaller bags from the chest before hauling the rest up the the ruined staircase. 

Dead bodies with arms, and even heads blown off from a cannon blast lay before her on the upper gun deck, some with gaping voids in their chest, their brightly colored blood staining the wood all the colors of the rainbow. She barely batted an eye at the macabre scene, reacting only with a sneer when she stumbled and sunk her boot deep into a rather thick pool of dark blue and teal blood, some of it splashing up and into her boot. Quick to pull herself from the viscous material, she rushed up the stairs, muttering curses under her breath. 

Clashing swords and pistol shots filled the air the second she pushed her way out from under the deck. The real treasures were hidden within the captains quarters. Maps and charts among other valuable information were stored within, at least that’s what Aranea said. To Meenah, it was just a bunch of lines and gibberish over a picture of the ocean and some land. She could already imagine the horror stricken face the cerulean blood would have if she said just as much. 

A bullet broke her out of her thoughts as it whizzed by her earfin, nearly shooting her fin off before it embedded itself in the doorframe. Her grip on the chest tightened in her hand as she charged through the chaos, swinging the heavy chest like a club at anyone that got in her way. Multicolored blood splattered over the deck and her clothes as each swing connected with a dull thud and a wet crunch of shattering bones. 

One opponent managed to dodge her initial swing and lunged forwards with his cutlass, nearly impaling her in her ribs when a bullet shot through his arm. It simultaneously shattered his elbow and forced him to lose grip on his sword as he cried out, arm flopping uselessly at an angle the sea dweller was certain an arm shouldn’t bend. Without thinking, she whipped towards the source of the shot, only to see the smug smirk of the first mate, obviously pleased her rather lucky shot connected. 

With a good natured roll of her eyes, Meenah smirked back at the cerulean blood and finished the job, slamming the chest down on the head of the wailing troll, silencing him with a wet crunch. Perhaps she would thank Aranea later for the save, or maybe she will try not to smear her outfit with the rainbow of blood she was accumulating on herself instead, now featuring a rather strong shade of blue. Though she would not take her brush with death lightly as she made a beeline to the captain’s cabin, eager to finish the job and to be out of harm’s way.

Documents and maps littered the room, some recently damaged by a certain sea dweller’s blood covered feet despite her best attempts to avoid the valuable paper as she trudged into the room. Luckily, a battle damaged captain’s coat was discarded in the room, giving her the chance to clean up her bloody hands, lest she damage them further while gathering them. It was easier to defend footprints on documents than handprints as she found out during their last raid. It was a heart stopping moment when Mindfang threatened to ‘liberate’ her of her earfins for being so careless when Aranea stepped in to calmly remind her of how useful those fins were for traveling in fog. 

Being locked in the bowels of the ship for a week without food seemed a little overkill, but at least she got to keep her fins, and most importantly, her identity secret. 

Coat in hand, Meenah wiped her shoes before finally attempting to save the footprint covered pages. They didn’t exactly look all that important, but that didn’t mean much, she couldn’t read any of it anyways, at least not without sitting down and sounding out the words with ones she already knew. The most school feeding she ever received was the short perigee after she molted from a grub to a wriggler and only learned to read very simple sentences. Mostly it was just in case the empress didn’t make it during her many conquests.The second she returned, schooling stopped, and her world changed for the worse.

Over half of the documents were gathered and packed into the chest full of treasures when the subtle click of a cocked gun turned her already cool blood to ice. Fins twitching nervously, she turned towards the source of the sound. A large, upturned desk appeared to have housed the captain of the ship, if those medals meant anything on his chest. Well, what she could see of his chest anyways. Splintered wood pierced his upper body, one lodged particularly deep in his eye, violet blood oozing slowly around the edges. His hand shook with effort just to keep the gun steady, something Meenah took note of as she subtly gripped the chest’s handle.

“D-drop those. If her highness finds out….finds out pirates stole these documents..” The captain shuddered, out of fear or pain, Meenah didn’t know. “I will not let a dirty pirate like you leave with those papers...even if you are a high blood. Disgraceful.” 

A nasty coughing fit overtook the mortally wounded captain, violet blood splattering over his outstretched arm as he struggled to keep it steady. It was obvious he was dying, which perplexed Meenah as why he would waste the last moments of his life defending papers. Still, she wasn’t about to waste this opening. The second his aim dropped from her head, she lunged, swinging the chest down onto his head as hard as she could. 

The sickening crunch did little to mask the sound of the gun, deafening her ears from his last act of defense. Pain burned through her leg only a moment later, only rivaled by the raw panic that overtook her. She could practically hear her heart thundering in her chest, threatening to break through her rib cage as she took several shaky steps back, her horror growing as her own royal blood dribbled onto the floor. Black spots swam in and out of her vision as she slumped against the desk, leaning heavily against it just to remain upright.

No, there was no way she was going out like this. Defiantly she sucked in the salty air between her teeth as she forced herself up. A boost of adrenaline pushed the sea dweller forward as she shoved the desk against the door, effectively blocking herself in as she assessed the damage. The leg of her tattered black pants was yanked up and despite the blood that continued to ooze from her wound, it was simply a diagonal graze along her inner calf. 

Taking a moment to breathe as another surge of fear raced up her spine, she dug into her pockets and pulled out a flask of pure alcohol. Her teeth easily sunk into the cork as she wrenched it free from the bottle. The alcohol burned horribly as she poured it over her wound, nearly causing her to bite the cork in half, but at least it would disinfect the site as well as wash away her damned tyrian blood. 

Next she pulled out some fishing wire and a needle she kept safe in a tiny pouch. After threading the needle, she dipped it in alcohol and immediately pushed it through her skin, tugging the torn flesh together with even strokes. The sounds of battle waned as she tied the end of the wire tight against her skin before clipping the excess free with her claws. She just barely managed to wrap and tie a relatively clean cloth around it when the door clacked hard against the desk, scaring Meenah so badly she nearly ripped open her stitches as she leapt away from the desk.

“Meenah? Meenah! Are you ok? I heard a gunshot!” 

Clutching her chest, a shaky laugh fell from her lips as she listened to Aranea’s rather comforting, if not rather alarmed, voice. “Fuckin shell Serk. Ya gotta not do that shit when somebuoy almost got shot. Nearly gave me a cod dam bloodpusher attack” 

A sense of ease washed over her as she spoke, feeling a million times lighter that it was the cerulean blooded first mate on the other side of the door. No one ever made her feel this way before and it honestly scared her a little whenever she sat down and really thought about it. After everything that happened, all she wanted to do was sit somewhere safe and listen to more of her long winded stories. Sure, they were boring, but her voice was pretty and it was nice seeing her look so damn proud of herself as she talked on and on about things no one seemed to care about. If she were honest with herself, those stories were one of the few sources of comfort she found within her hectic life.

“Gimme a sec, I gotta move the glubbin desk” After smearing the dead captains blood over the trail of tyrian as well as the tyrian blood that stained her pants, did she actually pull the desk away from the door. Aranea practically fell into the room, though she paid no mind to her moment of gracelessness as she rushed up to the heiress, immediately looking her over for injuries. It would be hard to miss the panic in her eyes, almost as if she could feel the fear that clutched painfully at the sea dweller’s heart earlier. 

“Clam down Serk, I don’t need ya pokin at me, I already took care of it. It wasn’t nofin aight?” Meenah was careful to angle her injury away as she batted Aranea’s hands away. What she didn’t expect was how quickly the cerulean blood recoiled from the rejection, almost as if she had been burned. “...Let’s just get outta here beshore more bullship happens.” 

“Fine,” Aranea was rather curt in her reply, her face unreadable. “I’ll be sure to keep my concerns to myself next time.”

 

She was out the door before Meenah had the chance to respond. Honestly, the sea dweller was rather bewildered by the sudden shift in emotion from the first mate. In fact, she even felt this strange queasy feeling crawling in her chest as she retrieved the violet stained chest and headed out of the captain’s quarters.

Dead trolls were strewn across the deck, their rainbow blood staining the deck vibrant colors as the thick life giving fluid slowly drained from their bodies. A small group of prisoners were forced onto their knees before Mindfang, swords pressed into the backs of their necks to keep them in place. The captain was pacing before them, looking quite pleased with herself. Her smile only grew at the sight of the blood splattered chest as Meenah dragged it into view.

“I trust these documents are flawless this time?” There was a dangerous flash in her eyes as she approached as she saw the rather poor state the chest was in.

“Mostly. Blood was glubbin everywhere beshore the otter guy popped out.” Quick to wipe away the blood, the sea dweller opened the chest, putting the mostly unscathed documents and treasures on display. “I got everyfin that I could sea.”

 

Mindfang remained stoic as she examined the contents of the chest carefully. Meenah could feel the familiar claws of anxiety digging into her chest, joining that uncomfortable queasy feeling that seemed to have made itself at home already. Seconds passed by like hours before that trademark smirk grew on the captain’s face, easing the sea dwellers rather frayed nerves.

“Looks like we have everything we need here.” Turning towards the prisoners, her smirk darkened into a sinister smile. “Too bad there were no survivors to tell the tale.”

Terror barely registered on the captive troll’s faces before swords were violently thrust through their necks, spilling their rainbow blood to join the rest that pooled on the deck before them. Meenah hefted up the chest and quickly headed for their ship, ignoring the distinct thud of lifeless bodies dropping to the deck of the slowly sinking ship. After all, she wasn’t home free until these stolen goods were safely inside Mindfang’s cabin.

As she crossed the narrow plank between the two ships, the pain in her bullet wound began to amplify, nearly making her stumble and fall from the perils perch. Adrenaline that had coursed through her, especially so when she was shot, was starting to drain away. Trembling limbs and exhaustion was left in its wake, an experience Meenah was all too familiar with. The pain in her leg kept her moving, a promise of rest flashing in her mind once she completed the task at hand. 

“Meenah!” Aranea’s voice pierced through the haze as she rushed to the sea dwellers side just as she pushed open the doors to Mindfang’s cabin, with barely enough time to drop the chest before the cerulean blood was upon her. Whatever was upset her earlier seemed to have vanished, much to her relief. “Meenah, you have to stop pushing yourself so hard! You’ve been hurt, I can see you limping, and moving around is only making it worse!”

“I’m fine.” Impulsively she grabbed both of Aranea’s hands in her own, mainly to keep her from possibly poking around for her injury as she shifted her injured leg away from the cerulean blood. She hardly registered the look of surprise, or the faint cerulean blush that dusted the first mate’s cheeks. “I just needed to drop this off. I’ll go lay down or waterebber, aight.”

“Hang on. You are not going to climb down into the lower deck with a gunshot wound, and don’t you tell me that you don’t have one. You’ve been limping ever since you came out of that cabin.” As she was lectured, Meenah found herself being pulled out of Mindfang’s cabin, and into Aranea’s. She didn’t bother resisting either, that queasy feeling from earlier slowly vanishing as she stepped into the rather tidy cabin.

“You need to be more careful.” Guided to a resting platform next to a recuperacoon, she was encouraged to lay back onto the soft surface by the gentle press of the cerulean bloods palm on her shoulder. “Please, just rest here for a while. You did enough for today.”

It was..strange. Very strange for someone to care so much about her wellbeing. Feelings she could hardly identify surfaced as she watched those cerulean tinted features soften as she brushed some unruly hair away from Meenah’s goggles. Somehow, the action felt rather, intimate.

“Aight...I guess I could do that for ya nerd.” She couldn’t help but return Aranea’s smile, though hers was more out of relief than anything. “Ya betta get goin though, Mindfang probubbly wants ya to go through all that carp we stole.”

At the mention of Mindfang, the first mate straightened up, all traces of empathy gone. It was rather remarkable how she could become all business at a moment's notice. “Right. Those documents you stole may have enough information to tip the scales into our favor.”

“Tip into yer favor? For what?” 

“The location of the rogue princess.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. The second half of 2016 was all kind of bad for me and it made it difficult to get this chapter out. I did my best on this and I hope you all enjoy it!


	6. Chapter 6

Royal documents detailing the once decorated captain Vonaro sat before Aranea, spread across the table with the hope that they would dry before they took on further damage. While it did show that Meenah had been careful to not stomp all over them like the last ship they raided, it didn’t change the fact that they did suffer some damage during the fight. Words had started to bleed together, and some violet blood seemed to have been purposely smeared across several pages, obscuring what could possibly be vital information. 

No matter. Aranea was the best at restoring damaged documents, at least she claimed to be. Learning to repair, preserve and protect books and papers only seemed logical to the knowledge loving troll. Given enough time, she was confident she could clear up most, if not all of the blood on these soiled pages.

As she gently dabbed the wet cotton cloth on the soiled documents, her mind wandered to the sea dweller in the other room. Specifically, the absolute terror that struck Meenah from the incident on the ship to the lingering tension that still radiated from her room. It was a fear so intense that its icy grip nearly stopped her in her tracks.

Time seemed to stand still as she raced to the captain’s cabin on the battle torn ship. With each frantic step, Mindfang’s words rang clearly in her mind like a cruel symphony. ‘Any voyage could be their last. Are you prepared for that?’

No. No she was not. 

The fact that Meenah was not only ok, but able to move an entire desk was reassuring, until she saw the pools of violet blood that covered the floor. Her heart nearly stopped at the sight of the sea dweller and just how heavily the violet blood stained the sea dwellers clothes. Aranea’s fear overpowered the thousands of emotions thrown her way as she raced inside the cabin, determined to help, only to be pushed away and quieted by a few meager words.

To say she was upset by this was an understatement. Fists clenched tight, she spat out a quick retort before storming off. With the enemy crew mostly incapacitated, she had no trouble shoving her way through to Mindfang’s ship. Obviously she wasn’t needed anymore. 

 

Aranea had already fallen back into her usual routine after Mindfang had taken a ship.Charts and books lay open before her, ready to be used as reference and as a canvas for her quill. A fresh inkwell was ready and waiting for her steady hand to record what was taken, what kind of ship they captured, if any of the crew joined them, and if they should pursue any found information aboard the ship. She had just finished setting up when she felt that familiar tug on her psyche. Meenah was boarding the ship.

Annoyance bubbled under the surface at first, but they were quick to fade as she examined the emotions thrown her way. Shaking her head, the cerulean blood rushed over to the sea dweller the second she saw her stumble over the threshold of Mindfang’s cabin. From how much she was limping, it was a miracle she didn’t fall off the narrow plank on her way over. 

Once again, Meenah was trying to brush this off as no big deal, and she wasn’t about to have any of it, even if the gentle way she grabbed her hands made her heart skip a beat. She practically dragged her to her cabin, somewhat surprised when she was left with little resistance. This troublesome troll must be in more pain than she anticipated. What she did notice, was just how much those anxious feelings started to fade, especially once they were in her cabin.

Not once had Aranea been around someone who felt so calm and relaxed around her. The fact that this rather guarded sea dweller felt comfortable enough with her made her feel almost giddy. She couldn’t resist reaching out and brushing away the stray strands of hair that fell in front of the taller trolls goggles. If only they weren’t so opaque….she would like to see her violet eyes someday…

With the mention of Mindfang, their little moment of...something...was gone. Instantly those emotional barriers that had opened just for her had slammed shut with a vengeance. It was so jarring that she almost missed the sudden spike of panic that had risen within the sea dweller. 

“Well...guess you betta get goin...I aint gonna get in no troububble cuz of you bein worried boat nofin” Meenah turned away from her as she laid back on the bed. The sudden cold treatment made her heart hurt in ways she hadn’t experienced, even when her relationship with Porrim deteriorated. 

“Fine.” Aranea turned on her heel and stalked out of her cabin, punctuating her silent fury with the slam of her door that was just hard enough to knock over a few books from her bedside table. The first mate couldn’t seem to care as she stormed over to Mindfang’s quarters as she muttered to herself about foolish sea dwellers.  
At least she did stay and rest like she asked her to. 

 

Now however that she had been given the chance to calm down, did she examine the situation. The second the missing heiress was mentioned she clammed up and even seemed to be making a valiant effort to squash her feelings on the matter. It didn’t work, she could still feel traces of fear emitting from her room, but why?

Was she a spy? Aranea snorted at the thought. A royal spy wouldn’t have helped them take down so many royal ships or would have killed so many in their navy. Even if it was to keep her cover, killing high ranking captains had to be against their training. 

Why would a spy join a pirate crew anyways? Sure, Mindfang was one of the most infamous pirates, but what would there be to gain from joining a pirate crew, aside from the fact that the captain had made it her mission to find the heiress? Any pirate that found her would just turn her in for the empresses ransome...unless.

 

Did they know about their hand in the rebellion? The damp cloth dropped from her hand as a new sense of dread washed over her. If that was true, everything they had worked for would be for nothing. Those secret meetings Mindfang held with the Summoner, though less business appropriate than they should be, would all be for naught. The rebellion could be compromised if this was true.

What she needed to do was inform Mindfang of this….but the thought tore at her heart in ways she never felt before. If this was true….no. No it couldn’t be. There had to be another reason as to why she would act this way, she just needed to calm down and think.

Aranea pressed her palms to her eyes, her glasses pushed askew as she took several deep breaths. A spy wouldn’t be so unguarded with their emotions. A spy wouldn’t want to learn basic information that nearly everyone learned while being schoolfed. In fact, it would be a waste of her time. She wouldn’t blindly hand over important documents and not bother to question them until now. A small question that didn’t probe any further than just asking what they were specifically for.

Another breath and she pulled her hands away from her face, absentmindedly re-adjusting her glasses as she sat back in her chair. If she wasn’t a spy….then the only logical conclusion would be….her eyes widened. It just couldn’t be.

Could it be that they actually have the princess they had been searching so long for? The fabled sea dweller that escaped her fate of being culled just for daring to be born with the royal blood so few live to see? Joining a pirate crew would be an unprecedented, reckless and downright brilliant move in being even more elusive to the capture the empress has demanded for so long.

Aranea hadn’t realized she stood until she heard her chair clatter to the floor. It was though she were on autopilot as she rushed out of the captains cabin, barely reacting as she nearly plowed into a passing pirate. She practically threw open the door to her cabin, her eyes fixed on the sea dweller as she shot up from her spot on the bed.  
Cerulean eyes scanned the wounded pirate critically, taking note of the vast amount of violet that covered her as well as the violet tint of her fins. At first she didn’t notice the string of curses that fell from Meenah’s lips, or her questioning words until the light from the moon caught the sea dwellers goggles and flashed into her eyes. Blinded for a moment she blinked, the interruption brought her attention to the slightly annoyed tone of the new pirate.

“The shell serket? Ya gonna answer me or are ya gonna glubbin gawk at me? Why ya bustin down yer own door?” 

Wordlessly, she shut the door behind her. The spike of anxiety from her guest only heightened her suspicions as she locked her door. “Meenah. How much do you know about the rebellion?”

Genuine confusion was what she was met with, much to Aranea’s relief. It even extended to the sea dwellers face, what little she could see of it at least. No spy, no matter how skilled, would be able to mask their emotions so well, even if they had trained for sweeps, and with how much Meenah let her emotions run wild, that could not be the case.

“....There’s a what now?” In fact, she sounded absolutely lost as to what a rebellion was, something that anyone should know about. Unless they lived under a rock, or have been in hiding for several sweeps.

 

“Aranea, I aint-” “Take off your goggles.” She cut the sea dweller off, silencing her with those few sharp words. Tension once again started to build in the room.

 

“Serk...heh...are ya feelin aight? Do you need to lay down? My leg don’t hurt that bad no more, I can leave so you can-” “You heard what I said, Meenah.”

She could visibly see her friends jaw clench as a new wave of fear from the sea dweller bathed the room. It was just as, if not more intense than those terrifying moments on the ship when she was shot. It took Aranea’s breath away and it took everything within her to hold her ground and not succumb to the building panic that surrounded her like a vice.

“Please.” Her voice cracked, pleading as she gazed up at the troll before her. Already she could feel the guilt bubble in her chest for causing her friend so much strife, even if she was a spy. God she hoped she wasn’t. Nothing would me more humiliating or defeating than to find out that this connection they seemed to share was all a lie.

Was no one genuinely interested in her? Was talking too much really that awful?

Could she even kill her if she was a threat?

“Aight” 

Aranea was shaken out of her emotional spiral as Meenah approached her. Honestly, she thought she would reject her demand, forcing her to assume the worst. Instead she was caught so off guard she hadn’t noticed the emotional change in the room until they were just barely a breath apart.

 

“Keep it between us….or else” There was a threatening edge to the sea dwellers voice. One that made Aranea’s hair stand on end. A distinct growl that only the highest of royalty could possibly possess. One that commanded respect.

Wordlessly, Aranea nodded, her eyes never leaving those goggles, afraid that if she looked away she would change her mind. Her breath caught in her throat as Meenah lifted her hands and slowly slipped off her goggles. Closed eyes was the first thing she saw, squeezed tight with apprehension. 

Without thinking, she reached up and gently brushed her fingers along the sea dwellers cheek. She faltered and jerked away when the sea dweller flinched. Nodding wasn’t going to cut it, she deserved verbal reassurance.“I promise. This will be between us.”

Tension that furrowed her friends brow relaxed from the reassurance,much to the first mates relief. Despite being able to literally read others emotions, she wasn’t exactly the best at de-escalating a tense situation. Those thoughts were short lived as she was drawn to her friends eyes as they opened and revealed the deepest set of tyrian purple the cerulean blood had ever seen. 

As she stared, transfixed by the rare sight, one nagging thought grew. How was she going to keep this from Mindfang if Meenah did not want to participate in their plans?

Would she even have a choice?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this took way longer than I ever intended this to. So much happened last year. A lot of bad and some good, but it definitely kept me away from this story. I really hope this chapter was worth the wait and I am really sorry for making you all wait for so long.


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